Born in Oldham and known affectionately as 'Sir Kev', Kevin Sinfield retired in 2016 as an idol of the Leeds Rhinos' golden years and as a former England captain. Sinfield won seven Super League titles, three World Cup Challenges and two Challenge Cups in 521 matches for his club. From 2003 he captained a side that exemplified the best of his sport. Sinfield became the first rugby league player to be nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, finishing in second place behind Andy Murray in 2015.
But his career on the pitch is only part of the story. Alongside Sinfield was a small but indomitable scrum-half, Rob Burrow. As Rob's health has tragically declined in recent years due to Motor neurone disease (MND), Sinfield has set himself a series of extraordinary endurance challenges, including running seven ultra marathons in seven days and over 100 miles in a single day, that have raised awareness and millions of pounds for the cause of MND. In the process, Sinfield has won the hearts of a nation and an OBE from the Queen.
Sinfield continues to be a leader on and off the field, through his fundraising and now as defence coach for the England national rugby union team. He is one of the few individuals who has successfully crossed rugby codes. In autumn 2022, Sinfield embarked on his hardest endurance challenge yet, running 7 ultra marathons in 7 days, and raising almost £2 million for MND in the process. In May 2023 he ran the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds marathon, which he helped to found.
